Game of Love
by taitofan
Summary: Moving to a new town is hard, but not nearly as bad when you meet another new guy that could very well be your soul mate. Events experienced: four of fourteen.
1. Cliff's Black Heart Event

Game of Love—Cliff's Black Heart Event

by taitofan

Rated PG-13 for yaoi

Disclaimer: Since Jack couldn't marry guys and Claire couldn't marry girls, it's safe to assume that I don't own the Harvest Moon: Mineral Town games.

Author's Note: Welcome to title, the companion piece to _Events of the Heart_. While it's not required that you read that to get this, I do recommend it, as I'll be referencing that fic here and this fic there. For example, this chapter takes place between chapters one and two of _EotH. _Each chapter I'll tell you where these take place, in case you follow both. Now, I will warn you that Jack and Claire's characterization are based on the way I played them. Yes, I made Jack do girly stuff and Claire was a tomboy. I love them dearly. Lastly, before we start, I'll mention that this fic will contain Cliff's four heart events, Cliff's two random events, five "romantic" festivals, and three ending chapters for fourteen chapters total—one more than EotH. And all that said… Enjoy the first chapter!

Flames do nothing but make me laugh, although I'll listen to any CC you have. Please read, review, and enjoy! Finished 10-09-06

* * *

What a scam. A clean peaceful farm _indeed_. The place was overgrown and falling apart. That mayor was just lucky he'd been able to calm Claire down before she cracked his skull with that hammer of hers…

Jack and Claire were the new owners of Futago Farm. They'd moved to Mineral Town with their puppy Koinu in hopes of proving their family wrong about them. Claire was _not_ just a tomboy lesbian who liked to get dirty, literally. Jack was _not_ just a gay guy who was better off being a chef than a farmer. True, they were _mostly_ accurate, but not completely! The Futago twins were more than that, _much_ more!

…True, the very first day Claire decided she'd take care of the fields and animals while Jack would do the cooking and run errands, but _still_… Their parents didn't know they hadn't switched roles like they'd sworn they would before they moved. They were twenty-one now—their parents didn't have to know _everything_ they did…

It was now their sixth day at the farm, and Jack was _still_ trying to find his way around town. He knew where Rose Square was, as well as the beach. He'd met Zack their first day there, though Claire had been the one to talk to him, seeing as he had no real plans to work in the fields. Clichéd or not, he preferred to be clean thank you very much. No, Jack had met the other occupant of that household when Won had come to their door their second day and sold him that expensive apple. Something with a bunch of letters… He couldn't remember _what_, but he had a feeling it was just a regular apple. Oh well, it might still come in handy… He hoped.

He also knew where the Poultry Farm was, only because it was right next door to them and he passed it whenever he ventured into town. He remembered that the third farm and the blacksmith were somewhere near there, and the inn and wine store the next road up. There was a library he planned on checking out soon, and a clinic somewhere that he had a feeling his sister would be visiting sooner or later. Probably _sooner_ knowing her. And there was a store that he was _supposed_ to be visiting so he could buy some seeds for Claire while she was clearing the weeds in their field. If only he could remember which one it was… He probably should have slowed down to read the signs, but he'd hoped he could just hurry along and find it by sight…

'_Looks like I was wrong… I hope Claire doesn't need those seeds right away… Well, what's this? A church? Yeah, I've definitely gone too far. Better turn back… Though maybe I should introduce myself… But then again…_'

He wasn't always so indecisive, but he and his twin had _never_ had good experiences with churches. The last time they'd gone to a service it was when they were sixteen. They'd gone to a holiday ceremony with their parents and Claire had decided, for whatever reason, that flirting with the pastor's daughter was a good idea. After Jack had stood up for his twin, they'd both been outed and their parents would never take them back there again. Not that they'd complained of course. And surely, if a big city church had been so close-minded, a small town church would be just as bad, if not worse…

But then again, that guy at the Poultry Farm—Rick he believed was his name—made Jack's nearly perfect gaydar go off the charts, so who knew? Maybe Mineral Town was different; maybe he could actually settle down here with a nice, cute guy and his sister could do the same with a girl… And what better way to gauge the morals of a town then to go to their religious hub?

His mind made up, Jack silently apologized for keeping Claire waiting and walked into the church.

'_Well, it's nice looking at least_…'

It didn't seem like it was used all that often. There weren't very many pews, and other than those, there was only an altar, an organ, and two doors. One led to the confessional he was sure, though he wasn't sure about the other. The lack of occupants wasn't extremely surprising, considering it was eleven in the morning on a _Thursday_. There only seemed to be two people in fact, a middle-aged man who was obviously the pastor, and…

And oh god, Jack was in love.

Well, maybe not in _love_, though the thought of finding a life partner in a church of all places _was_ rather ironic, but definitely lust at first sight that could very well lead to love as long as that gorgeous man was at _least_ bisexual. Oh, how Jack hoped he was… A handsome brunet sat in the front pew, staring at his shoes. Jack could only see his profile, but that's all he needed. Unless there rest of his face was _horribly_ scarred, this guy got an A plus in the "aesthetically pleasing" category. Now, as long as he wasn't a jerk or married, Jack would take back every doubt he'd ever had about Mineral Town…

"Hello, have we met before?" Jack snapped out of his ogling and guiltily turned to the pastor he'd been unintentionally ignoring, as if the man could read his thoughts. But since he was smiling kindly, Jack doubted it.

"Uh, no. I'm Jack. I live on the farm with my sister Claire. I just wanted to check this place out…" The man nodded, the smile still on his face. Jack had a feeling that it didn't leave very often.

"Ah yes, I've heard about you two. Quite the project you've taken on! Well, my name is Carter. I'm the pastor here as I'm sure you've realized. It's very nice to meet you Jack." He stuck out his hand and Jack shook it, liking Carter already. As long as he didn't end up being a homophobe, the farmer had a feeling they'd get along just fine.

"Likewise." Carter glanced over at the man who'd caught Jack's eye, then motioned the younger man closer when he didn't look up.

"I have a small favor to ask you if you don't mind. I saw you watching that young man when you came in, and since you seem nice, I think you might be just the thing he needs." Oh, Jack wished he meant that the way it sounded… "His name is Cliff, and he moved here just a short time before you and your sister did. The problem is, he's extremely shy, and he hasn't made a single friend. I think I might even be the only person he's spoken more than ten words to. So, I was hoping you could talk to him and be his friend…?" …Jack suddenly loved his life.

"Of course! I mean, it's terrible not to have any friends, and I really haven't made any yet myself, so sure, I'd love to help." Carter's smile widened at that, and he nodded happily.

"Wonderful! Thank you very much! Just try your best to get him to talk. I'm counting on you!" Oh no, no pressure to get the hot shy guy to open up to him, right? Well, it wasn't as if Jack wouldn't try his hardest… The quicker he got Cliff to be his friend the quicker he could find out if they had a future together.

And Jack _really_ hoped that was the case.

"Well, I'll do my best…" Carter patted his shoulder, leaving Jack to walk over to the front pew where Cliff was sitting.

'_Okay, don't be nervous. Carter says he's shy, so I just need to play it cool, not blush no matter how hot he is, and I'll be fine…_'

"Hello, my name's Jack. I just moved on the old farm about a week ago with my sister. And you are…?" He knew of course, but it was a good icebreaker.

"…Ah…. Hi…" Cliff's shaky voice was a bit hard to hear since he was talking to his shoes, but _still_. Jack could come up with hundreds of words to describe it. Being the romantic chef-wannabe he was, the word "honey" sprang to mind. "Um… My name is Cliff…" That news wasn't anything new, but when Cliff finally lifted his head up, Jack felt his heart speed up. If his profile was gorgeous, then seeing his face was… Indescribable. If he ended up being straight, Jack didn't know _what_ he'd do. It'd probably involve a ton of ice cream and putting up with Claire reminding him for the umpteenth time that _she_ was the sister, not him.

"H-hello Cliff. It's nice to meet you." He knew staring was rude, but really now. Cliff had those eyes you could get lost in… He figured that if the whole chef thing didn't work out, he could always write the _perfect_ cheesy romance novel. His staring wasn't as discreet as he'd hoped though, as Cliff quickly colored under his intense gaze.

"… …Ah… Do I have something on my face…?" It took a _lot_ of willpower not to say "Absolute perfection."

"No! Sorry… You just, um, looked kind of familiar." Lame excuse or not, Cliff nodded in acceptance.

"Oh… I…" Man, Carter wasn't exaggerating how shy he was… If anything, he was _underestimating_ it. "Ah… I'm nervous… I'm sorry, I can't talk…" Well, that wouldn't do! Jack was at least going to be friends with him, no matter _what_ he had to do…

"Hey, just relax! I don't bite." '_Unless you're into that_,' he added mentally.

"Okay…" Cliff closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then opened them and finally lost that look that reminded Jack of a scared rabbit. "I feel much better now. Thank you Jack." Jack felt his cheeks heat when Cliff said his name. Oh man, he had it _bad_…

"Oh, it's no problem." No problem at _all_.

"So, you're running the farm with your sister… What do you do exactly?" He was tempted to lie, but he'd never been very good at doing that…

"Well, Claire works in the fields and does most of the animal work, and I cook and run errands around town. I got a fishing rod from Zack, so I'll probably try that soon, and Claire said something about trying mining one of these days. What do you do?" If Cliff thought that their reverse roles were odd, he didn't say anything about it.

"I don't have a job yet… Right now, I'm staying in the inn with the money I had from before I came here. Well, good luck on your farm." Jack noticed that Cliff obviously didn't want to talk about that anymore, so he nodded.

"Thanks. I'll tell Claire someone finally wished us luck… Oh! Oh man, I was supposed to be buying seeds for Claire! She's going to _kill_ me… Cliff, I'm so sorry, but I have to go. Are you here often? We can talk more later." Cliff nodded, the color back in his cheeks, though Jack wasn't entirely sure why.

"Y-yes… I'm always here or at the inn… I'll look forward to seeing you again… G-goodbye Jack." Hoping that Cliff would take it as a sign of "manly bonding," Jack grabbed Cliff's hand and shook it while saying his own good byes and rushing out of the church to find that darn store.

He completely missed Cliff's face flushing a deep red at the contact.

* * *

"I'm back!" Jack yelled as he ran across the field, not stopping until he was at his sister's side. "Turnips, potatoes, and cucumbers. Here." The blonde took them, giving her brother a suspicious look.

"Jack… Even if you got lost, it shouldn't have taken you _that_ long. What were you doing?" As Jack launched into his explanation about going into the church and meeting the _hottest_ guy alive, Claire rolled her eyes and started working. Didn't it figure? Less than a week and he'd already found someone to make him act like a lovesick teenage girl…

Well, for his sake, she hoped this guy didn't end up being straight like all the others…

* * *

"Well, what did you think of Jack, Cliff?" Cliff, face still beat red, found it impossible to look Carter in the eye.

"Well, he… He's…"

"Just your type?" Carter offered, amused by Cliff's startled expression. "We've already discussed this Cliff. No matter what happened in the past—"

"I know," Cliff cut in, "but having those thoughts in a _church_…" Carter's smile slowly disappeared. If the younger man kept thinking like that, he'd _never_ find his happiness…

"Cliff, God loves all of his children, no matter what. I know that your family thought otherwise, but I assure you, what they told you was misinformed. There I nothing wrong with your feelings. Now I'll ask again; what did you think of Jack?" Cliff still seemed hesitant, but a ghost of a smile graced his lips.

"He… He's nice, and seems like a very strong person, and… He's _very_ handsome." Carter's smile returned at the confession.

Maybe there was hope for him yet.


	2. Cliff's Purple Heart Event

Game of Love—Cliff's Purple Heart Event

by taitofan

Rated PG-13 for yaoi

Disclaimer: Since Jack couldn't marry guys and Claire couldn't marry girls, it's safe to assume that I don't own the Harvest Moon: Mineral Town games.

Author's Note: This takes place between Won's Second Heart Event and Rick's Purple Heart Event. In case you were wondering. I know this event is hard to see before the Wine Harvest, but it _is_ possible, so here it is. And… Sorry if it seems like I'm bashing Ann. I'll admit that she's among my least favorite characters, but I'm trying to be nice. She is Jack's rival though… Don't worry; I won't make her into a villain or anything. I was also worried about the pacing of the story… But then I remembered that I had Cliff up to a red heart before the fall and decided that pacing was fine. Heh, don't worry; some conflict will come eventually. And am I screwing with the Rival Heart Events? You'd better believe it.

Flames do nothing but make me laugh, although I'll listen to any CC you have. Please read, review, and enjoy! Finished 10-09-06

* * *

Jack liked the rain, really he did. But he liked it when he was inside and warm, not when it began pouring when he was on the way to the church. It had been two weeks since he'd first met Cliff, and he'd visited him everyday since. And dreamed about him every night, but no one needed to know _that_. The point was, he was going to the church rain or not, though _not_ would certainly have been more pleasant.

In the short time they'd known each other, Cliff had started talking to him more, but he was still shy. Not nearly as bad as the first day, but he hadn't completely opened up yet. He was _very_ reluctant to talk about his past. But he seemed to love talking about Jack and the farm. One day they spent an entire afternoon discussing fishing, which Jack had found a lot harder than he'd originally thought. He'd even gotten Cliff to laugh when he'd admitted to falling in the river once when his line had gotten tangled in between two big rocks. It wasn't that Jack minded talking about himself as long as Cliff showed an interest, but he still wished he knew more about the other man…

'_Ah, finally, the church! And right at four, perfect. Stupid rain can't stop **me**…_'

He quickly pushed the door open and stepped inside, hoping that it wouldn't take _too_ long to get dry. His concerns about his clothes were cut short though, as he was met with a rather unusual sight. Instead of Cliff sitting in the front pew and Carter at the altar or in the confessional, they were both standing in the aisle, almost as if they'd been waiting for him… But that was just silly, right?

"Oh, hello Jack. How are you?" Jack opened his mouth to answer, but Carter continued on without waiting for an answer. "Cliff and I are having dinner together this evening. Would you care to join is?" Cliff's cheeks were tinted pink as Carter discreetly nudged him.

"Yes, please join us if you have the time!" Jack found it a bit odd that Cliff would ask, seeing as he came by this time every day, but he didn't dwell on it. Dinner with Cliff? Hell _yes_!

"Sure, I'd love to!" Cliff looked downright excited, to Jack's confusion and Carter's amusement.

"Our first time having dinner together, wonderful…" Jack's eyes widened at that. Cliff thought it was wonderful? _Really_? "Oh, ah, I mean—!" And judging by that reaction, he hadn't actually meant to say that aloud.

"Well, Ann will be over soon with the food, so would you two mind cleaning up? If you need me, I'll be in the confessional." And before either of them could argue, he was gone.

"What? Carter…? But we're the only ones here!" He muttered something that sounded suspiciously like '_That wasn't in the plan_,' before turning to Jack. "It's okay, I'll handle this, so don't worry about it."

He was all alone with Cliff and had the chance to work with him. Was he honestly going to look like a lazy jerk and let the other man do all of the work himself? Yeah _right_. Especially not when Ann could be coming at anytime. Her father ran the inn that Cliff stayed at, and if Jack had any competition for his affections, the redhead was it. He knew she had already talked to Cliff, since the shy man had told him about her visit to his room a few nights before. Luckily for Jack, Cliff hadn't talked much with her. But still, she was obviously interested in the mysterious, handsome man living above her… Oh no, he was staying _right there_.

"Don't be ridiculous, I'll help you! I work in the kitchen most of the day anyways. This'll be nothing." Cliff smiled gratefully, a look that Jack decided he'd kill to see more often.

"Thanks! Let's get to it then."

* * *

Sure enough, Ann came in shortly after they began…

"Oh, hi there Cliff! What are you doing?" Jack didn't care that he was being ignored. He wasn't very fond of the young woman anyways. She _was_ his rival after all, whether she realized it or not.

"…I'm cleaning with Jack…" He mumbled towards the floor. Ann put down the food on the front pew where Cliff usually sat and walked up to him, smiling sweetly.

"Oh, so you are. Well… Hey, I have a great idea! I've noticed that you only ever visit the church, so how about tomorrow I show you around town? That sounds fun, doesn't it?" Cliff bit his lip as he continued cleaning, refusing to look up and meet her hopeful gaze.

"I… I'm sorry Ann, but… Um… Jack already offered to do that actually." Now, it was obviously a lie, and if anyone else had said it, Ann wouldn't have believed them. But this was _Cliff_, and he was just being shy, right? She pouted but nodded, and Jack was mentally cheering. Jack: 1, Ann: 0.

"Oh, okay. Maybe some other time…" Cliff mumbled something that neither Ann nor Jack could understand—Ann hoped it was a "_yes, of course_," and Jack hoped it was a "_hell no_"—not once stopping his task. Ann sighed and turned around to leave, but not until she sent a heated glare at Jack. It seemed she realized that they were rivals after all… Good, because he had a feeling that he could actually win this one.

Once she was gone, Cliff finally paused and sent Jack a hesitant look.

"I just didn't know what to say… You don't have to—"

"I'd love to," Jack interrupted. "If _you_ want to of course. I mean, I'm still not completely familiar with the town, but I know where _almost_ everything is. And if you don't want to meet anyone, we could always just walk around…" Jack had Cliff's full attention at this point. And yet again, Cliff's face had taken on that red tint Jack was so used to. And he finally was beginning to understand exactly what it meant.

"Jack… It sounds like you're asking me on a date… While we're in a church…" Jack shrugged, though he wasn't feeling nearly as nonchalant as he looked. Actually, he was a nervous wreck. What he was about to ask would give him all the answers he needed…

"Well, you don't have to think of it as a date if you don't want to. But if you do, I certainly wouldn't mind. We could even eat dinner together afterwards, either at the inn or at the farm. You'd have to meet Claire, but I think you'd like her… Eventually." Cliff stared at his shoes for a few minutes, contemplating what he should say. For the longest time he'd known he liked guys, but to actually go out on a date with one… It went against everything he'd ever been taught, but he'd be lying if he hadn't wanted this since he first saw Jack…

"I… I'd like that; I really would, but… Do you think it's right?" Jack chuckled as he walked close to Cliff and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Cliff, I've known I was gay since I was twelve. I stopped worrying about what people thought about me a long time ago. You don't have to tell anyone it's a date if you don't want. You don't even have to call it that. Just go out with me once and see if you don't like it, okay? We can go from there." Well, it was hard to say no to such a sound argument, especially when Carter had told him to plan this stunt tonight to have an _indirect_ date with Jack… So he didn't.

"O-okay, it's a date then." Jack smiled and squeezed Cliff's shoulder gently.

"Excellent."

* * *

Once they had finally gotten everything all ready, Carter conveniently came back right on time. He thanked them for doing the work and blessed the food before they all dug in. Jack might not have liked Ann much, but she wasn't a bad cook. Or _Doug_ wasn't—whatever. He'd have to try to get the recipes regardless. _Especially_ the recipe for the Curry Rice, seeing as Cliff admitted that it was his favorite food ever. Maybe he could learn it by tomorrow night…

"So, when is your date tomorrow?" Cliff froze, mouth open and fork en route, and Jack raised an eyebrow.

"You were eavesdropping the entire time, weren't you?" Carter laughed and nodded, and Jack poked Cliff's side until he closed his mouth.

"Well, I can't lie in a house of God, can I? Yes, I could hear quite well, and I've very happy for the both of you. Maybe there'll be a wedding here soon…?" Cliff made a rather amusing squeak in the back of his throat and dropped his fork altogether.

"C-carter! We're going on one date, not getting engaged! We haven't even kissed yet! …I mean… Oh my…" Jack didn't think the day could get much better than it already was. He supposed that twenty-one years of being single and lonely was _finally_ paying off.

"Not yet, no. It doesn't seem that either of you would mind much though…" Cliff's face was redder than Jack had ever seen it, and he didn't say anything as he quickly resumed eating. But since he didn't deny it… Jack had high hopes for his future. And Cliff was definitely in them.

* * *

Jack had walked Cliff back to the inn and was rewarded with a good night kiss. True, it was a kiss on the cheek, but for only knowing each other for two weeks, that was pretty good. He finally got home and practically danced into the farmhouse, causing Claire to snort at her brother's antics from her spot at the table, and Koinu to yelp happily and join in.

"What has you so happy? Let me guess, Cliff did something that has you _sure_ that he's your soul mate." He ignored his sister's wry tone and picked up Koinu before he got stepped on.

"Something like that. Let's see… I only had dinner with him and Carter, got him to agree to go on a date with me tomorrow, and had him kiss my cheek. I'd say I made out pretty well for myself, wouldn't you say, sister dear?" Claire let out a low whistle of admiration. Looks like Jack had _finally_ picked the right guy.

"Damn, that was fast. I'm guessing I'll finally get to meet him then?" Jack nodded and set the wiggly puppy down before he sat across from his sister.

"Yeah, I'm going to show him around and then we're coming back here for dinner. I gotta learn how to make Curry Rice by tomorrow… I don't suppose _you_ know how, do you?" She gave him a look that _clearly_ said, "_Don't be an idiot_."

"I burn water, remember? You won't even let me within ten feet of your precious kitchen…" Oh yeah. He _did_ ban her from the kitchen last week, didn't he…?

"Well, then I'll have something to keep me occupied before my date then… Wish me luck?" Claire smiled at her twin and snorted at how damn sentimental he could be.

"Good luck bagging your man Jack."

Somehow, they both knew that time was simply going to _crawl_ until the next evening…


	3. Summer Fireworks

Game of Love—Summer Fireworks

by taitofan

Rated PG-13 for yaoi

Disclaimer: Since Jack couldn't marry guys and Claire couldn't marry girls, it's safe to assume that I don't own the Harvest Moon: Mineral Town games.

Author's Note: This takes place between Rick's Blue Heart Event and Won's Fourth Heart Event, and makes lots of references to earlier chapters. If you _haven't_ read EotH, you might get a bit lost… But you should still catch on. Lots of characterization in this one. I tried to show some of the other characters they'd interact with, which was a challenge at times since I don't really like Kai, Gray, or Ann… Oh well.

Flames do nothing but make me laugh, although I'll listen to any CC you have. Please read, review, and enjoy! Finished 11-19-06

* * *

It was almost the last week of summer, two seasons since Jack and Cliff had met, and four weeks since their first date. And Jack couldn't have been more pleased. The date had gone _perfectly_. They'd walked around town, Jack had showed his friend a few of the more notable places, they'd had a wonderful dinner of Curry Rice and wine with Claire, and they shared a _proper_ kiss when the night was through.

Since then, Jack had taken to visiting the man of his dreams not only at the church, but also at the inn. It wasn't overly pleasant having Ann constantly glaring at him or Gray—Cliff's roommate—shooting him odd looks, but he didn't mind much. And since summer had started, Kai was up there too, but he was always working or with Popuri, so he wasn't even an issue. He still managed to do all of his work, but if he wasn't in the kitchen or running to a store, he was with Cliff.

Well, _okay_. He was cooking for Cliff a lot—someone had to feed him, and it certainly wasn't going to be _Ann_—and now two of the shops he regularly visited further reminded him of why he loved Mineral Town. After all, when he went to the Poultry Farm and saw Rick daydreaming about his lover, then caught him and Won making out at the latter's shop, he couldn't help but smile. He and Cliff might not be a real couple yet, but if those two could be happy, he knew they could too. Once they finally got together that is…

And he hoped it'd be soon. After all, thanks to a certain loudmouthed woman, half of the town _already_ thought they were together.

It had been two weeks after their first date. They'd been at the church while Carter had stepped out, and they'd been talking when Jack had said something to make Cliff blush. He couldn't help it—Cliff was just _too_ cute when his face was bright red. That had lead Cliff to shove him off the bench though, and Jack, as an automatic response, grabbed at whatever he could get to steady himself. That just happened to be Cliff. And Cliff just happened to fall down on top of Jack…

And, of course, Manna had chosen that exact moment to walk in the church.

Needless to say, half of the town had heard about "the farmer boy and his boyfriend at the church." Somehow, it had gone from an accident to the two of them being half-naked and having their tongues down each other's throats. As nice as that sounded, Jack thought that doing those things in church was a bit too sacrilegious, even for _him_.

…Not that they'd exactly gone out of their way to stop the rumors. Sure, they'd tell the truth when questioned, but… Well, Jack wasn't sure about Cliff, but he knew that he liked the thoughts of them being a real couple to deny it _too_ much. But how to approach the subject? Sure, he _could_ always go up to him and say, "Hey Cliff, I know we only kissed once, a month ago, but I really like you. Wanna be my boyfriend?" but he wanted it to be more… special. Yes, he'd waited this long to find a guy who'd actually consider seriously dating him, and he wanted to do things right. But how…?

"Hey Jack, I know I'm not the best cook in the world, but I don't think rice is supposed to be that color…" The sound of his sister's voice snapped Jack out of his musings. He looked down and yelped as he saw the curry rice he'd been cooking was tinged black. He quickly shut the heat off and put the pot on a cool burner, sighing to himself.

"Great… I can't give this to Cliff _now_…"

"What a pity…" Claire said, not sound in the least bit sympathetic. "Look, if it's not good enough for your boyfriend, can _I_ have it? You have, like, nine more in the fridge and they're all for Cliff. I'm _really_ hungry…" He stepped out of the way and the blonde immediately grabbed a fork and began eating it right out of the pot. Jack ignored her lack of table manners and leaned against the counter, watching her attack the charred food like a starved animal. That girl would eat anything…

"Cliff isn't my boyfriend." Claire snorted and swallowed what was in her mouth before turning to him.

"That's all you can say? Jeez… What are you guys waiting for anyways? It's obvious you both wanna be together… You haven't been on any official dates since that first one though. Turning straight on me or something?" He ignored her teasing and sighed again.

"…How can you be so sure? You've only seen him once… What if he doesn't want anything that serious?" It was times like this that Claire wondered how she could be related to someone with such low self-esteem. Really, what was he thinking?

"You've _gotta_ be kidding me… Jack, he was totally nuts about you when you'd just met, and if things are going even half as well as you make them sound, he must be completely over the moon for you by now. You visit him all the time; you should be able to pick up on these things! …Look, I have an idea. The summer fireworks are in a few days. Ask him if he'll go with you. It's supposed to be some big romantic event… If it seems like things are going well, ask him out. If for some reason the stars are aligned the wrong way and he says no, you can always chalk it up to being caught up in the moment. Okay?"

Jack took in her words carefully, mulling them over in his head. It seemed pretty foolproof… And he really did want to date Cliff… Yeah, it sounded very good indeed.

"All right Claire, you win… Just one thing though. How did you find out about the fireworks being romantic?" She laughed and pointed her fork at him, giving him a wink.

"Well brother dear, let's just say that you aren't the only one who's been advancing their love life…" And as she went back to eating, ignoring his pleas to tell him, the conversation was over.

* * *

"Thinking about your boyfriend again?" Cliff snapped out of his daydreaming as Gray entered their room and began putting his things away. Cliff had left the church early that day and obviously lost track of the time. But with the… _indecent_ thoughts he'd been having about Jack, he just couldn't stay in a house of God and _not_ feel guilty.

"He's not my boyfriend—"

"Yet," Gray interrupted. Cliff blushed and nodded. He and Gray might not be _all_ that close, but living with someone for two seasons tended to make one learn a few things.

"Yes, _yet_. You're right; I was thinking of him, but… You don't want to hear my problems…"

"Well, if he doesn't, I sure do!" Their gazes turned to the door as Kai came in, smiling as he sauntered to his bed. Cliff didn't mind his other roommate much, even though he hadn't known him as long, but he was a bit too loud and cocky at times for the brunet's tastes. But what was he doing back so early for?

"Kai, it's only five. Why are you here? Don't you have a lodge to run?" Kai flopped down onto his bed, a small frown forming on his lips at Gray's questions.

"I left early cause there were no customers. I went to go visit Popuri, but…" He trailed off, his frown intensifying. Cliff wasn't sure what the problem was, but if Gray's snickering was any indication, _he_ did.

"And let me guess, Won was there with Rick, and you lasted an entire five minutes before you chickened out and ran?" Kai scowled, hurling his pillow at Gray's face. The redhead laughed and caught it, tossing it right back. "Well, I guess if I'd been beaten up by an old man, I wouldn't want to be around him either…" Tanned skin was suddenly a few shades redder, and as the two started flinging pillows at each other, Cliff shook his head warily.

He didn't know much about Won or Rick other than what he'd heard from Kai and Jack. He knew that Won owned the shop on the beach and that Rick's family owned the Poultry Farm… And that they were the only openly gay couple in Mineral Town. The rest of what he knew was biased, seeing as Kai obviously didn't like Rick one bit. He didn't know how often that summer he'd heard about "that overprotective, geeky, annoying _bastard_!" Then Kai had come back one afternoon held up by a crying Popuri, sporting a broken rib. Doctor had been called up to tend to him, and Won had gotten off scot-free since Kai would _never_ admit that he'd been beaten up by a man over ten years older and six inches shorter than him. All things considered, Cliff thought the event played out like a twisted fairy-tale, complete with a happy ending for Won and Rick at least—they did become a couple despite all the odds afterwards.

"I'll have you know," Kai finally said after the pillow war had died down, "that I just felt tired and told Popuri I'd come back tomorrow… Besides, weren't we talking about Cliff and his boyfriend, not my girlfriend's brother and _his_ boyfriend?" Cliff didn't even bother to correct him… It was getting rather old.

"There's not much to say… I just… I feel like we're together, but it's not official, and… Does that make any sense?" Kai cocked an eyebrow, but Gray nodded, a thoughtful look in his eye.

"You mean that you feel like lovers, but neither of you have ever said anything formal, right?" Cliff nodded slowly, and he continued. "Well, then that's easy. Just watch the fireworks with him."

"Excuse me?" Kai might have thrown another pillow at the redhead if he wasn't still out of breath.

"Idiot, he's never been to the fireworks before… It's a Mineral Town tradition. During the last week of summer, you go to the beach and watch the fireworks with your sweetheart. If you aren't already dating someone, you just show up, ask them if they want to watch with you, and go from there. I'll be there with Popuri and Gray is going with Mary. If you really wanna make Jackie your boyfriend, just ask him then. If he says no, you can just say the excitement got to you." …That was a good idea, _really_ good in fact. And even if Jack said that he didn't want the commitment, he could still count it as their second date…

"All right, I'll do that… But are you sure you won't get scared if Won shows up with Rick?" Kai's jaw dropped at _Cliff_ teasing him, and Gray burst out into laughter. Oh, that was _it_. Healing rib or not, the pillow war was back on!

* * *

The days flew by and before either of them knew it, it was the day of the fireworks. Both were preoccupied all day long, causing their respective roommates to hope beyond all hope that things went smoothly that night… If only so they'd stop being so spacey.

That night, Cliff left with Gray and Kai, getting to the beach as soon as it got dark. Gray went off to find Mary, and Kai was immediately dragged off by Popuri, who wanted to spend as much time with her boyfriend before he left later that week. Thus, Cliff was left to his own devices, hoping that Jack would get there soon. A quick look around the beach showed that he wasn't there yet, but many younger members of the community were. Doctor was there with Elli, his roommates were with their respective girlfriends… And lo and behold, far, far away from Kai, Won and Rick were sitting side by side on the dock. It was the first time he'd seen them together… And curiosity got the best of him. He slowly made his way to the other side of the beach, getting as close to the pier as possible without looking suspicious.

"Thanks for coming with me," Rick said with a smile, leaning into the older man. "I know you don't like festivals…" Won wrapped his arm around the blond, his own smile set firmly in place.

"Anything for you. I couldn't say no to such a beautiful face, now could I?" Even in the dark, Cliff could see Rick's face flush a deep red.

"Won… Thank you. For tonight, for fighting for me, for… For loving me. I love you so much…" Won laughed, moving so he was looking directly into Rick's eyes.

"There's no need for thanks… But you're welcome regardless. I love you too after all…" With that, their faces leaned closer until their lips touched ever so slightly. Cliff knew he should look away, but as Rick's arms wrapped around his lover's neck and Won's own arms went to the blond's waist, he couldn't look away…

"Cliff, what are you doing?" The brunet spun around, blushing at being caught spying on something so intimate. And by the man he'd been waiting for nonetheless… Jack looked to where Cliff had been watching and chuckled, the sound calming Cliff's nerves instantly. "It'd be nice to be with someone that loved you that much, huh?" Cliff nodded, thinking about that being him and Jack… Oh yes, nice indeed.

"Y-yes, it would… I, uh, Jack, do you want to, um… Will you—"

"Cliff!" Said man was cut off by a feminine voice that he knew very well… Considering he lived in the same inn as her. Jack groaned, not bothering to hide his frustration. He wanted to know what Cliff wanted!

"Hello Ann…" The redhead bounded up to them, ignoring Jack as she always did and smiling up at Cliff.

"Hi there Cliff! I was hoping you'd be here! Hey, do you wanna go watch the fireworks with me? It'll be lots of fun!" Jack only _just_ bit back a growl. Even if they weren't technically together, he still was the only one to have kissed Cliff. And after those rumors Manna had spread, most of the town thought they'd gone further than that. Who was Ann to make a move on who, to her knowledge, was _his_ man?

"…I'm sorry Ann. I already asked Jack if he'd watch them with me." Jack and Ann's eyes both widened at that, for different reasons.

"Oh…" Ann said slowly, a frown appearing on his face. "And he said yes?"

"Yes!" Jack exclaimed, earning surprised looks from both of them. "Yes, I want to watch the fireworks with him _very much_." The redhead's frown deepened, not wanting to believe it.

"Then those rumors are true… You guys really are together… Well, I'm not giving up without a fight! You'd better watch your back Jack! We're rivals now, and don't you forget it!" With that she stomped off, not giving either of them a chance to respond. She really _had_ been in denial… Neither knew what to say to each other now either. They'd just inadvertently agreed to view the fireworks together… Now what? Luckily, the sound of laughter saved them.

"Sorry for listening in guys, but that girl has always been loud… _And_ annoying if you ask me." Jack couldn't agree with Rick more. "Anyway, the dock is big enough, so you two can sit on the end if you want. We can see fine from here." Jack and Cliff shared a silent look, before Jack nodded.

"Thanks Rick, we'll do that."

* * *

Ann couldn't believe it. She'd finally found the most handsome guy _ever_, and he was gay. Great, just _perfect_. How unfair! And when things were unfair, she went to her best friend—Karen. The other girl must have arrived by now… When they were younger, Ann had always gone to Karen with all her problems, even though that usually meant that she had to deal with Rick too. She'd admit that she'd been jealous of him, seeing as Karen considered _him_ to be her best friend, not Ann. But Rick had acted more like a little girl when they were younger than tomboy Ann had, so she supposed she could understand why…

'_Ah, there she is! Oh, and she'd with that new girl too, Jack's sister. Blaire or something… Oh well, Karen will listen to **me**!_'

She bounded over to her friend, not bothering to wait for the two girls to stop talking before she butted in.

"Karen! Oh, I have something to tell you! I—" Karen turned to her, the annoyance clear in her eyes.

"Ann, look, whatever it is, tell me tomorrow, okay? I'm busy tonight. Me and Claire have plans, and the fireworks will be starting soon. So just wait, all right?" …Did she mean what Ann _thought_ she meant?

"Oh, okay…" She walked away after that, wondering if she was the last single person in Mineral Town…

* * *

"…So, the fireworks should be starting soon."

"Yeah."

"I hear they're really romantic."

"…Yeah."

"Claire said she heard lovers watch them together."

"Y-yeah…"

Well, this was going nowhere fast.

"…Want a blowjob?"

"_W-what_?!" Jack laughed at Cliff's expression, the moonlight betraying his beet-red face.

"Sorry, I just wanted to hear something other than yeah… Though I wouldn't have minded that answer…"

"Jack!"

"Sorry…" Jack didn't look very sorry, but Cliff wasn't mad, just… Embarrassed. No one had ever, he'd _never_—oh God, give him strength—he desperately wanted to say yes. "You know Cliff… I know we've only known each other for two seasons, but I honestly can say that I've never liked anyone more than I like you. And… I think you feel the same way for me. So, you know, if you wanted to take things further, I wouldn't mind."

"Jack, I—" This was exactly what he wanted to ask… He silently thanked God that Jack had asked first though. "I'd like that, a lot." Jack smiled sweetly and reached out his hand, seeking Cliff's and lacing their fingers together. Cliff returned the smile, not quite believing it. After everything that had happen, he had a boyfriend. A _boyfriend_! And he couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so genuinely happy.

Their gazes broke as a bright flash lit up the night sky, followed by a loud boom. They turned out to the sea and watched the fireworks, simply enjoying each other's company. Sure, there would be things they'd need to work out, but for now, they were content to sit together and enjoy each other's presence.

Now that they had each other, they could handle anything.


	4. Festival at Mother's Hill

Game of Love—Festival at Mother's Hill

by taitofan

Rated PG-13 for yaoi

Disclaimer: Since Jack couldn't marry guys and Claire couldn't marry girls, it's safe to assume that I don't own the Harvest Moon: Mineral Town games.

Author's Note: Here's the thing… The blue heart event _probably _should before this, but you can't see that until the wine harvest, which is after this event. But it's okay, we can pretend Cliff's heart is up to green already. I mean, I always had Cliff to yellow by the time this event rolled around. Anyway, now that our lovely couple is together, the events will be getting progressively more romantic. And Cliff will be getting bolder, just like in the game. Of course, there'll be some conflict, but let's enjoy the fluff for now. Also, the end of this event begins the Wine Harvest event, which will conclude in the next chapter.

Flames do nothing but make me laugh, although I'll listen to any CC you have. Please read, review, and enjoy! Finished 01-28-07

* * *

The weeks following the fireworks went smoothly for Jack and Cliff. They continued seeing each other everyday, but now they added hand holding, kissing, and sweet words into the mix. Their date count had also risen from two to _a lot_. They watched Claire play the Ocarina in the Music Festival, they brought food for the Harvest Festival and ate together, they regularly had dinner together either at Jack's house or the Inn… Yes, things were going _perfectly_.

…And that was why Jack was rather apprehensive. He'd never gone so long without any problems… And Cliff was seemingly perfect. Even his shyness was dying down… But then he realized that waiting for something bad to happen was _more_ than a bit paranoid. They'd deal with things as they happened.

"Hey Jack, I got a letter for you!" He looked up from his cooking as Claire entered the room, waving an envelope in the air. "I ran into your lover boy on the way home and he asked me to give you this. So hurry up and read it, okay? Cause it took all of my willpower not to read it on the way back…" He shook his head and accepted the letter, actually _extremely_ surprised that she hadn't read it. He tore open the envelope and took out a sheet of paper with only a few words on it… And he raised his eyebrow. "…Well? What's it say?"

"He wants me to meet him at Mother's Hill tonight… I wonder why…" Claire shrugged, trying to look uninterested, though she was obviously just as curious as he was.

"Guess you'll just have to go and find out, huh? When are you gonna leave?" He tucked the letter back into his overalls, a small smile playing on his face.

"Right after dinner, before it gets dark…" Claire laughed as he went into his own little world, filled with Cliff and, well, that was probably it. Quite frankly, she was surprised he hadn't run off the second he read the letter… But hey, at least now she'd get to eat.

* * *

True to his word, Jack left the second the last bit of food on his plate had been swallowed. He'd only been to the hill's summit once before, but he'd been to the lake quite a few times, so he knew his way there well enough. In a mere half an hour—he more or less ran the entire way, determined to see what his boyfriend was up to as soon as humanly possible—he made it to his destination, a large grin on his face when he saw the familiar brunet standing at the top of the summit and looking to the sky. In Jack's professional opinion, he looked positively gorgeous in the twilight… Not that he didn't _always_ think that of course.

"Cliff…" Said man turned around, smiling widely at the sight of his boyfriend.

"Jack, you came!"

"Of course I did," Jack laughed as he walked closer until he was standing side by side with him. "So… What's this all about?" Cliff turned his gaze back to the sky, the smile never leaving his face.

"Look, the moon is so beautiful tonight… Come watch it with me…?" Jack felt his face heat up at the sentimental gesture. He wanted to watch the moonrise? That was…_very_ romantic.

"I-I'd love to." Cliff turned back to him, pure happiness shining in his eyes.

"Alright, then let's enjoy it." He slipped his hand into Jack's, and the farmer didn't think life could get any better than it was at that moment.

* * *

"It's pretty." Jack nodded, thinking that Cliff was prettier than the moon, but not bothering to voice that thought. Sure, getting him flustered was always fun, but it'd ruin the peaceful atmosphere they had. "Lots of people must be watching the moon tonight too. I wonder how many other couples are doing just what we are…"

"I dunno." Cliff chuckled, not missing the fact that Jack was sneaking glances at him more often than he was looking at the moon. He should know… He was doing the exact same thing to Jack after all.

"You know… The moon makes me feel strange… Is it just me?" Jack turned his full attention onto Cliff at the odd question. Strange?

"Strange how?" Cliff's smile widened as he withdrew his hand from Jack's and, without warning, pinned him down to the ground. "C-Cliff!"

"Strange, like… Like it gives me confidence. I can't explain it, but I want to..." He sighed in frustration when he couldn't think of a way to word what he was feeling… So he decided to _show_ him instead.

Jack let out an undignified noise—it was more or less a squeak, but he wouldn't _admit_ it—when Cliff captured his lips an a fierce kiss. Well, this was unexpected. Tremendously nice, but unexpected nonetheless. This was the first time Cliff had ever taken the initiative in their relationship … He liked it!

He let out a moan as Cliff's tongue passed his lips, immediately tangling with his own. Then there were the wandering hands… He had to loop his arms around Cliff's neck just to keep from losing touch with reality. Who was this assertive man and what had he done with his blushing boyfriend? But then again… He could _definitely_ get used to this. So long as his hand kept going further down…

"Jack," Cliff's voice was gruff as he suddenly pulled away from Jack's bruised lips, "I want you so much. I've never felt this way for anyone before… But you make me feel happier than I've ever been in my life. It all feels too good to be true…"

"I feel the same," Jack admitted easily, smiling up at the man he adored so much. "I've had my fair share of infatuations, but I've never been in lo—" He immediately snapped his mouth shut as he realized what he was about to say. What if Cliff didn't feel the same way? He would freak out and— And his miniature mental breakdown was broken when Cliff softly pressed their lips back together. When he pulled away again, he looked absolutely ecstatic.

"I love you Jack."

…Jack's earlier thoughts about not thinking that the night could possibly be more perfect than it already was? Well, this blew that right out of the water.

"Cliff… I love you too."

The moon was forgotten as their lips met again, sealing the deal.

* * *

Jack didn't get back until earlier morning, and though he was sure that staying out so late and making out on the ground all night long was horrible for his skin, he didn't care. He loved Cliff, Cliff loved him, and all was right in the world. Cliff walked him to the farmhouse and gave him one last kiss before he headed back to the Inn. As he quietly went inside, Jack knew he must be wearing the _stupidest_ grin, but it wasn't as if Claire would be up…

"Where the hell have you _been_?" Jack jumped at the loud voice, spinning around to face his angry sister. What was she…? Oh, the clock said it was five minutes to six… That explained it.

"I was watching the moonrise with Cliff. I didn't realize we were out so late…" She shook her head; that was Jack for her.

"I'll bet… Look at you! What, were you guys having sex up there or something?" He quickly turned to the mirror on the wall and caught sight of his disheveled appearance. Well, it was a legitimate question at least…

"No, we were just kissing… But guess what?!" She raised an eyebrow at his enthusiasm. For a guy who'd been up for twenty-four hours, he was sure peppy…

"What?" The joy on his face was a good indicator to what was coming next…

"He said he loves me!" …She mentally patted her back for being right.

"That's great!" He opened his mouth—no doubt to gush about his wonderful boyfriend who loved him—when a knock on the door cut him off. Sighing, he turned and opened the door.

"Good morning Jack!" He blinked as Duke's grinning face came into view. "Good to see I didn't wake you… Hey, tomorrow is the annual grape harvest and I need a few extra hands. You up for it?" Harvesting grapes…? Well, it would give him an excuse to get out of helping Claire with the last minute crops…

"Sure, I'll help out." After all, how hard could it be?

"Excellent!" Duke cried, clasping his hand on Jack's shoulder. The poor brunet tried not to wince at his grip. "Find someone else to help out and you two can come by at ten tomorrow. See you then!" And just as suddenly as he'd come, he was leaving.

"Bye…" Once the older man was out of sight, he went back inside, again met with his sister's agitated look. "…What?"

"Ditching two days of work, you jerk…" Sisters. Sometimes he had to wonder about them…

"What _are_ you talking about?" Brothers. Sometimes she had to wonder about them…

"Think genius. You haven't slept since this time yesterday, so now you'll have to sleep, and then you gotta find someone to help you tomorrow… Hell, I'm just gonna go get one of the sprites to look after the animals for you…" He ignored her muttering about sprites and whatnot as the knowledge of his sleep deprivation finally hit him. He really hadn't slept in a day, had he? Well, that explained why his eyelids felt so heavy…

"Claire?" She abruptly stopped her ranting and gave him her full attention.

"Yeah?" He yawned loudly, the excitement of the past night finally catching up.

"I'm going to bed…" She snorted as he shuffled out of the room and headed towards his bedroom. Lovesick idiot… But he _was_ lucky. She could only hope Karen would say those three pretty words to her some day…

Thoughts of her mostly-secret girlfriend then fled from her mind as she realized something _very_ important…

'_That jerk left me without any food!_'


End file.
